THE OUSTED COQNTV GAZETTE TOUMP. 
 
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LIBRARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 THE ULSTER COUNTY GAZETTE 
 FOUND AT LAST 
 
 By R. W. G. Vail 
 
 Librarian, American Antiquarian Society 
 
 NEW YORK 
 THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 
 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 REPRINTED FROM THE 
 
 BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 
 
 OF APRIL 1931 
 
 PRINTED AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 
 
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 http://www.archive.org/details/ulstercountygazeOOvail 
 
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 \ T TY GAZETTE 
 
 THE ULSTER COUN 
 
 FOUND AT LAST 
 
 Bo <*STACKS OFFICE 
 
 By R. W. G. Vail 
 
 Librarian, American Antiquarian Society 
 
 THE most famous of all American historical ghosts has been finally laid 
 through the discovery of a genuine Ulster County Gazette for January 4, 
 1800. When the story of this old Hudson Valley newspaper was told in the 
 Bulletin for April, 1930, there was no original in any American library or 
 museum in spite of years of hopeful search and the examination of thousands of 
 reproductions. 
 
 There had been many rumors of originals but the most plausable seemed to be 
 that reported by Mr. Clarence S. Brigham of the American Antiquarian Society. 
 A Hudson Valley resident told him several years ago that he was the owner of 
 the three original numbers of the Gazette for December 28, 1799, January 4 and 
 11, 1800, but that he had lent them and had, so far, been unable to recover them. 
 Mention of these three issues appeared on page five of our previous article and the 
 hope was then expressed that they might eventually come to light. 
 
 It now appears that the unexpected has happened, for, in November, 1930, the 
 ui Library of Congress received an inquiry regarding three numbers of the old 
 paper with the identical dates of the lost copies. Knowing from our previous 
 ~ article that originals of these dates were still in existence but a few years before, 
 the national library was not slow in following up the lead and soon after had the 
 satisfaction of placing all three originals among the treasures of its newspaper 
 division. 
 
 The three original Ulster County Gazettes were secured from Mrs. Mary 
 
 Crawford Lydon (Mrs. James Lydon, Jr.), a descendant of Petrus, or Peter, 
 
 Decker, a Revolutionary soldier who lived on the northwest side of the Shaw- 
 
 angunk River, in Ulster County. He served first as ensign; and on March 9, 
 
 1773, was promoted to be First Lieutenant in the Fourth Regiment of New 
 
 York State Militia (New York State Archives, vol. 1, p. 301-302). The Decker 
 
 j family lived near Kingston, where they attended church, and would naturally 
 
 have subscribed to tbe county paper. Having served under Washington, it was 
 
 | to be expected that Lieutenant Decker would save those issues of the paper which 
 
 cp told of the last days of his beloved Commander-in-Cbief . 
 
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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF ORIGINAL GAZETTE 
 
 The most interesting question arising from the discovery of the original 
 Gazette for January 4, 1800, is : "How can it be told from the reproductions?" 
 The answer is easy, for one needs only to look at the second line of the heading 
 and see whether or not there is a comma after the word "County." If there is 
 none, that copy of the paper is probably an original. A genuine number must 
 also have the following reading for page 1, column 4, line 1 : "command the 
 town ; and notwithstanding." 
 
 Sufficient characteristics of an original are listed in a circular of the Library of 
 Congress, as follows : 
 
 1. It should be printed on the paper used in 1800, handmade from rags, soft, 
 pliable and rough in texture. 
 
 2. This paper should have as watermarks throughout, slender parallel lines 
 1 Vie to 1 3 / 16 inches apart. 
 
 3. Title in italic capitals should measure 6 15 / 16 inches in length. 
 
 4. Print should show the blurred edges of hand inked, hand press work. 
 
 5. The second column on page 1 should measure 2 7 /s inches in width between 
 rules, and 13% inches in length. 
 
 6. The old style "s" should appear frequently as in the words "Published," and 
 "Ulster" in the heading, and in the words "President," "House," "Representa- 
 tives," and many more in the text. 
 
 7. The last line of page 1, column 1, should read "liberal execution of the 
 treaty of amity." 
 
 8. One full-length mourning slug should appear on page 1, column 2 ; 2 full- 
 length and 5 short slugs on page 2 ; and 2 full-length slugs on page 3. 
 
 9. Mourning rules should be used between columns and across top and bottom 
 and along outer edge of pages 2 and 3. 
 
 10. The "Last Notice" on page 3, column 2, concerns "the estate of johannis 
 Jansen/' and should be signed by "Johannis I. Jansen." 
 
 Mr. Joseph Gavit suggests that to no. 10 should be added that the word "de- 
 ceased" is spelled "Deceased," the second "c" being out of line. 
 
 The fact that three consecutive numbers of the Gazette, with the famous one 
 in the middle, were found together, tended to prove the genuineness of that for 
 January 4th. When, on examination, it was found that they were all printed on 
 
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THE ULSTER COUNTY GAZETTE 5 
 
 the same handmade paper stock with the same watermarked "chain lines" in each, 
 all doubt as to genuineness vanished. 
 
 THE TWO OTHER NUMBERS 
 
 On reading the two other numbers of the Gazette, we find them fully as in- 
 teresting as their more famous brother. In the issue of December 28, 1799, 
 which is also appropriately draped in black, we find the announcement of Wash- 
 ington's death as it first reached the people of the Hudson Valley. There are 
 extracts from two letters from Alexandria, dated December 15th, the day after 
 his death, giving the details of Washington's last hours and the preparations for 
 his funeral. "We are all close to our houses and act as we should do if one of our 
 family had departed. The bells are to toll until he is buried, which will not be until 
 Wednesday or Thursday." . . . "As a mark of respect to him all business will be 
 suspended here tomorrow ; and it will stand recorded forever hereafter, as a day 
 of mourning." 
 
 KINGSTON LEARNS OF WASHINGTON'S DEATH 
 
 It is interesting to read how the sad news affected the people of Kingston, as 
 recorded by Editor Samuel Freer : 
 
 KINGSTON, December 28, 1799. 
 
 Ox the Death of 
 
 GENERAL WASHINGTON. 
 
 Ye portals of Heaven wide open receive, 
 
 The Hero, the Statesman and Warrior most brave. 
 
 WHEN the scythe of time mows down the common mass of the human race, they who 
 have stood foremost in promoting the felicity of men, attract the notice and fill the heart 
 with sorrow when they withdraw from the world. — Washington is gone, but tho' dead, 
 he shall live — live in the hearts of a grateful and affectionate people — the leader of the 
 armies of America — the promoter of our independence — the stay and bulwark of the 
 liberties of his country, are themes which will engage the attention of the present, and 
 the admiration of future ages. — Firm in Council and brave in the field, Heaven preserved 
 his life amidst the thunders of war, and the instruments of death until the liberty and 
 independence of our country was established on a rock. 
 
 When we, like him shall be mouldering in the grave, the future historian will describe, 
 ages to come, admiring, weeping and lamenting o'er Washington as the wonder of the 
 world ! — 
 
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 
 
 ON Monday last, the inhabitants of this town, received the mournful information of 
 the death of GENERAL WASHINGTON. — On this unhappy event sensations of grief 
 and sorrow pervaded every countenance. 
 
 In order to pay their last homage of respect for that great and good man, the Reformed 
 Dutch Church was dressed in mourning, and the bell thereof mufled and tolled from twelve 
 to one o'clock for several days. 
 
 Yesterday being the anniversary of St. John the Evangelist, the members of Living- 
 ston Lodge, convened together, and celebrated the day in a manner highly redounding to 
 their honor. — Guided by the sacred flame of brotherly love, they adjourned after taking 
 an affectionate parting from each other. 
 
 They all had Mourning bands in consequence of the melancholy news of the death 
 of their illustrious Brother and beloved Chief, GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
 ON SATURDAY THE 14TH INSTANT, 
 
 DIED SUDDENLY, 
 
 At his Seat in Virginia, 
 
 GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
 .Commander in Chief of the Armies of the United States of America; 
 
 mature in years, 
 
 covered with glory, and 
 
 rich in the affections of the 
 
 american people. 
 
 When men of common character are swept from the theatre of life, they die without 
 the tribute of public notice or concern, as they had lived without a claim to public esteem. 
 When personages of more exalted worth are summoned from the scene of sublunary ex- 
 istence, their death calls forth a burst of general regret, and invigorates the flame of 
 public gratitude. In obedience to the wishes and to the voice of their country, the orator, the 
 poet, and the historian combine to do justice to the virtues of their character, while the 
 labors of the painter, the sculptor, and the statuary in perpetuating their likeness, do 
 homage to their memory. 
 
 But when, in compliance with heaven's high mandate, the HERO OF THE AGE lies 
 numbered with the date — when the revered sage, the august statesman, the father of his 
 country, has resigned his breath — When the Idol of an Empire, the envy and admiration 
 of distant nations, and the brightest ornament of human nature — When WASHINGTON 
 IS NO MORE, let a sense of the general loss be testified by the badges of a general 
 mourning; but let not the voice of eulogy be heard, least the weakness of talents, and the 
 deficiency of languages, do injustice to the lustre and fame of the deceased! 
 
 From Vernon's Mount behold the Hero rise! 
 Resplendent Forms attend him thro' the skies! 
 The shades of war worn veterans round him throng, 
 And lead, enwrapt, their honoured Chief along! 
 A laurel wreath th' Immortal Warren bears, 
 An arch triumphal Mercer's hand prepares, 
 Young Laurence, 'erst'th' avenging bolt of war, 
 With port majestic guides the glittering car, 
 Montgomery's godlike form directs the way, 
 And Green unfolds the gates of endless day ! 
 While Angels, "trumpet-tongued" proclaim thro' air, 
 "Due honors for the First of Men prepare." 
 
 [True American.] 
 
THE ULSTER COUNTY GAZETTE 7 
 
 The issue of the Gazette for January 4th gave an account of the funeral, the 
 speeches and resolutions in Congress and the official action of President Adams, 
 all of which is familiar through the reproductions of that number. The Gazette 
 for January 1 1th told of the memorial processions and services in New York and 
 Philadelphia and gave further details of Congressional action in memory of our 
 first President. 
 
 There is probably no contemporary newspaper giving a fuller account of 
 Washington's death [or a better understanding of what it meant to the American 
 people of the time] than that published in these three numbers of Freer's paper. 
 It is perhaps because of this full treatment of the subject at a time when almost no 
 domestic news was appearing in the American press that interest in this one 
 obscure provincial paper has continued to the present day. Its fame is a tribute 
 to the patriotism of its editor and to his ability as a first class newspaper man. 
 
 REFERENCES 
 
 Facsimiles and text of the original Gazettes are reprinted from the originals in 
 the Library of Congress, through the courtesy of the Librarian of Congress. 
 
 All four pages of the original Gazette for January 4, 1800, were reproduced, 
 accompanied by a brief article by Mr. Henry S. Parsons, in Antiques for January, 
 1931. This article contains the first exact reproduction of the old paper ever 
 published. 
 
 In order to answer the hundreds of inquiries regarding the Gazette, the Library 
 of Congress published, late in 1930, a single page describing their unique original 
 and telling something of the history of the paper. 
 
 Another recent article on the Ulster County Gazette, written by Professor 
 Edmond S. Meany, of the University of Washington, appeared in the Washing- 
 ton Historical Quarterly for January, 1931, and was reprinted in separate form. 
 Though he had not yet learned of the existence of an original, Professor Meany 
 mentions several western reproductions of the January 4th issue which were 
 previously unrecorded. Mr. Joseph Gavit of the New York State Library has 
 also discovered several new reprints, and one or two others have come to light 
 since the publication of our previous article, so that there are now known to be 
 more than seventy-five different reproductions — and one lone original. 
 
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